Curious about growing oregano? In this post, we will teach you all the secrets to growing oregano… even if you think you have a black thumb! In this post, we will discuss which varieties are available, how and when to plant, when to harvest, and how to prepare it once it is in your kitchen.

Oregano. And More Oregano.

Alright, I have to make a confession- I often choose the blog topics for the week based off of what I need to learn. This is one of those weeks.

Last year, I planted an oregano bush in my garden. I love all of my herbs in my garden and oregano is no exception… but heaven help me, that oregano is out of control. I tend to spend a lot of energy trying to make things grow, but I spent last summer trying to stop my oregano from growing so quickly.

Because I live in zone 8b, my herbs survive the “winter” just fine, but while the rest of my herbs slowed their growth down, my oregano continued to thrive. And now that it is is unofficially summer in San Antonio, I am fighting the oregano battle once again.

While I was doing a bit of research for this post, I discovered the reason for my epic showdown… Mediterranean oregano (which I have) is a member of the mint family. Mint is known for being an aggressively fast grower. We recommend planting mint in a separate container as it can quickly overtake your garden.

I probably should have done my homework and planted my oregano in a container or as a landscaping feature (as a lot of people do), but the good news is, I now know how to approach this oregano battle.

But, more on that later, let’s talk oregano basics first.

Choosing the Best Oregano Variety for Your Oregano

There are basically just two types of oregano- Mexican and Mediterranean.

Mexican Oregano is related to lemon verbena and has a bit of a citrus flavor to it.

As mentioned above, Mediterranean Oregano is related to mint. Mediterranean oregano can be broken into several subtypes, such as Greek or Italian (think that whole Mediterranean region). Mediterranean oregano tends to be more earthy and savory.

Curious as to which type is best for you cooking needs… simply choose the type from the region in which you are planning on cooking dishes from.

Both types are hardy perennials through zone 5, which means that they will survive the winter well with little protection.

How to Grow (aka How Not to Kill) Oregano

Oregano can be started indoors or transplanted. And (this is really cool) it can be grown from clippings!

To grow from clippings, cut a stem about 7-12 inches long. Remove the leaves from the bottom half and place in a cup of clean water. Make sure that the plant gets plenty of sunlight and change the water every couple of days. Pretty soon roots will begin to grow. When the roots are 2-3 centimeters long, plant in soil and watch it grow!

Oregano can grow in partial to full sun, but they taste better when grown in full sun, so choose a sunny location.

Oregano doesn’t need to be watered too frequently, just when the soil is dry to the touch.

Oregano is a great companion plant to just about anything as it attracts flower flies which eat aphids… so it is particularly beneficial to have oregano growing if you have lots of aphids. I personally can attest to the fact that my aphid population is lower near my oregano than other parts of my garden.

How (and When) to Harvest Oregano

Harvesting oregano is fairly simple and can be done in several ways depending on how much oregano you need or how much you need to get rid of.

If your bush is taking over everything (like mine), go crazy and trim about ⅔ of the plant down. You can use from the leaves fresh and can freeze or dry the rest. I’ll cover more on preservation methods in a minute.

If you just need a little bit of oregano, you can trim off as many stems as you need, or better yet, grab a stem at the base and pull up to remove the leaves and then trim the bare stem off later.

No matter which method you use, make sure that the plant is at least 4 inches tall before you trim anything. But don’t worry, it won’t take long to get that big.

Now, let’s talk about what to do when your plant is taking over the world. When the plant is 3-4 years old, you can divide the plant in two. When you are ready to divide, soak the plant the day before. On division day, trim the top third of the plant and prep the new location for half the plant.

Using a shovel, the big up the entire root ball a few inches around the root ball and about 6 inches deep. Use the shovel to cut the root ball in half. Replant half the plant in one spot and plant the other in a new spot!

Oregano Preservation

Oregano can be dried in the sun or in the oven. Don’t forget that if you are curious about how to do so, check out our book, The Black Thumb Garden Club Workbook. Oregano can also be frozen. What is your favorite way to eat oregano?